The deep, rumbling vibration echoed through the ancient classroom once again, shaking loose a fresh layer of dust from the ceiling.
The old stone walls trembled ever so slightly, making the faded murals seem to flicker in the dim light.
Mason immediately stepped in front of Lyra and Mira, shifting his massive greatsword so it rested securely across his heavy shoulders.
“Stay behind me,” he growled, bending his knees slightly to lower his center of gravity.
Mira swallowed nervously as her summoned Wind Hare crouched at her feet, its long ears standing straight upright to catch the slightest sound.
She reached down to pat its head, her fingers trembling against its soft fur.
“Please don’t let it be another giant boar,” she muttered under her breath, squeezing her eyes shut for a brief second.
Lyra remained completely silent, her amber eyes fixed firmly on the dark corridor beyond the classroom steps.
The sound had clearly come from deeper inside the ancient ruins, but after several tense moments of waiting, the violent rumbling slowly stopped.
Nothing emerged from the shadows, and only a heavy, suffocating silence remained in the air.
“Should we go check it out?” Mira asked quietly, turning her head toward the others with a hesitant look on her face.
Before anyone could answer her question, a familiar movement on the dusty floor caught Lyra’s attention.
A tiny black ant crawled out from a narrow crack in the stone wall, then another, and then dozens more followed right behind it.
They gathered neatly along the smooth stone floor, forming a tight black cluster.
“They’re here again,” Lyra whispered, crouching down slightly to get a better look at them.
On her shoulder, Myrmor watched the gathering insects quietly, his antennae twitching in rhythm.
“They have made their decision,” he rasped softly.
Lyra tilted her head up toward him with a confused look.
“What decision?” she asked.
Instead of crawling toward the dark corridor where the scary rumbling had originated, the ants turned sharply to the right, marching straight toward an ordinary side wall of the classroom.
Lyra stood up and frowned, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
The countless ants continued marching without a single moment of hesitation until they reached what looked like solid rock.
Then, to Mira’s absolute astonishment, the leading line of insects simply vanished right before their eyes.
“Huh?” Mira gasped out loud, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand as if she couldn’t trust her own vision.
“I… I just saw them walk straight into solid rock.”
Mason stepped up beside her, his sharp eyes scanning the wall carefully.
“So did I,” he replied, his broad chest rising as he took a deep breath.
Lyra slowly approached the wall and ran her fingers across its cold, flat surface, but she found nothing unusual at first touch.
There was no metal handle, no visible doorway, and no obvious crack in the masonry.
“That’s impossible,” she murmured, resting her hand against the stone.
Myrmor spoke up calmly from her shoulder.
“Look more carefully, contractor.”
Lyra narrowed her eyes and slowly crouched lower to the ground.
She decided to follow the actual path of the marching ants instead of staring at the blank wall itself.
That was when she finally noticed it.
Near the very bottom of the floor, hidden behind several thick roots that had grown over the centuries, was a tiny opening barely wide enough for one person to crawl through on their hands and knees.
“It was hidden behind the roots,” Lyra said, a small grin spreading across her face.
Mira immediately knelt down right beside her, peering into the shadows with wide eyes.
“Oh wow… I would’ve never noticed that in a million years.”
Mason reached out with his bare hands and gently pulled the tangled roots aside, clearing the small space.
Behind them, a narrow stone passage descended smoothly into the darkness below.
“So that’s where they went,” Mason noted, dusting off his palms as he stepped back to give them room.
“They were showing us the way.”
Without any hesitation, she dropped down onto her hands and knees and crawled through the narrow gap first.
Mira took a deep breath and quickly followed right behind her.
“I seriously hope there aren’t giant spiders in here,” Mira whispered nervously into the gloom.
“They’re probably more afraid of you than you are of them,” Lyra said with a soft laugh, her voice echoing slightly in the tight space.
Mira huffed from behind.
“I highly doubt that.” Mason entered last, ducking his head low and carefully squeezing his broad shoulders through the tight opening.
To their surprise, the hidden tunnel was surprisingly clean on the inside.
Unlike the main cave passages they had traveled earlier, there was almost no dust coating the floor.
It felt well maintained, almost like it was used regularly, as though millions of tiny feet had walked along this exact path countless times over countless years.
The ants continued leading the way without stopping once.
The tunnel twisted several times through the earth before finally opening up into another vast underground corridor.
This new area looked far older than the classroom they had just left behind.
Ancient old stone lanterns were mounted neatly along the smooth walls.
Though they had been extinguished for a very long time, faint traces of glowing blue crystals still rested inside their hollow bowls.
“Someone built all of this,” Mira whispered in awe, her eyes wandering over the ancient architecture.
Lyra shook her head gently and corrected her softly.
“No… someone lived here.” The sudden realization sent a cold shiver down the backs of all three friends.
As they continued walking down the wide hallway, the tunnel eventually split into three completely different directions.
One path sloped steeply upward, another continued straight ahead, and the last one descended deep into complete darkness.
Without a moment of hesitation, the marching ants chose the left passage that led downward.
Lyra immediately stepped forward to follow them.